Sanders seeks that knockout punch

June 12 1998

By Phil Nyamane

As a protective measure and steady build-up to a possible match against the division's big guns, promoters Mike Segal and Cedric Kushner could not have done a better job than matching WBU heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders and Bobby Czyz.

With Sanders making his first defence since winning the title from a suspect Ross Puritty at the Carousel in November, this bout at the Mohegan Sun, Connecticut, tonight will be critically watched.

Southpaw Sanders will have to prove that he deserves to be mentioned in the same league as WBA and IBF champion, Evander Holyfield, or WBC title holder Lennox Lewis.

Not that a win against Czyz, a former IBF heavyweight and WBU super cruiserweight champion who has not fought since being stopped in five rounds by Holyfield two years ago, will necessarily send Sanders' shares rocketing in the market.

A bad win, and by that I mean a points victory, will not do the South African any favours, especially with the likes of Ray Mercer (rated No 3) and Henry Akiwande, who are more acceptable to critics, waiting in the wings.

Considering the fact that Sanders injured his hand against Puritty and has been out of action for six months, it is understandable why his promoters settled for Czyz (44-7 with 28 KOs). It is a cautious step. Sanders (33-1 with 23 KOs) will have to impress though by stopping a man who, at 36, has reached the twilight of an 18-year career.

To be honest, Sanders did not really set the house on fire against Puritty. While the American made it hard for him by fighting on the retreat most of the time, Sanders lacked good timing. He missed a lot.

Having been in the US for the past two weeks, he could have benefited from expert advice and who knows, could produce the sort of form to justify his trainer Harold Volbrecht's boast that Sanders can beat both Holyfield and Lewis.

But at 32, Sanders is aware that he does not have many years of fighting ahead of him.

"I've got one or two years left," he says, mindful of the fact that he is still not earning the kind of purses demanded by America-based South African, Francois Botha whom he beat four times in the amateurs.

So Sanders is looking for that big pay day before hanging up his gloves. Such a purse can only come against the likes of Holyfield or Lewis. For now though, Sanders can only speculate on what could happen in the future. The business at hand is Czyz.

Sanders wins boo boys' over in 5 minutes June 15 1998/ Iol.co.za

Mohegan Sun (Connecticut) South African heavyweight Corrie Sanders took less than two rounds to win the hearts of partisan American boxing fans as he destroyed former three-time world champion Bobby Czyz at the Mohegan Sun casino on Friday night.

About 3 000 spectators booed the Pretoria-based WBU titleholder when he was introduced to them. Five minutes and two knockdowns later, Sanders was a hero, being mobbed for his autograph.

But a top executive with a leading American pay-per-view television network said afterwards that Sanders would still need at least one more fight to become a household name in the United States.

"Corrie is not well known enough in America to fight Mike Tyson or (WBA/IBF champion) Evander Holyfield," said Jay Larkin, senior vice-president of Showtime Inc, which will screen Tyson's comeback fight, probably later in the year.

"Tonight's win was an important win . . . Bobby Czyz was a name. Corrie won it overwhelmingly, but he needs another recognisable name."

The 32-year-old Sanders, who plans to hang up his gloves by the end of next year, was hoping the victory would earn him his long-anticipated shot at Holyfield or WBC titleholder Lennox Lewis and he's especially keen for the multi-million dollar purse that would come with it.

But Larkin believes Sanders would first need to fight on open-air TV to raise his profile in the US. "That's how (former world champion) Riddick Bowe did it," he pointed out, explaining that free TV gave boxers more exposure but lower purses than subscriber-based channels. Names sell tickets, names sell pay-per-view. You need name recognition. The average person doesn't know who he (Sanders) is."

Even the vanquished challenger who was stopped in five rounds by Holyfield in 1996 without hitting the canvas believed the left-handed Sanders could give the WBA/IBF champ a tough bout. "It's hard to say exactly how the fight would go," said the 36-year-old Czyz, who once held the IBF light heavyweight, WBA cruiserweight and WBU super cruiser titles.

"Corrie is quicker, not necessarily stronger. Southpaw styles are generally an annoyance for anybody. Holyfield has struggled with southpaws. I'd love to see the fight . . . I'd pay to see it." Sap

Sanders wins in the second

MOHEGAN (Connecticut) -- South Africa's Corrie Sanders demolished Bobby Czyz with a second round technical knock-out to retain his WBU heavyweight boxing title here on Friday night.

The Pretoria-based Sanders, who dropped the former three-time world champion in the opening round, unleashed a series of left and right hooks to the challenger's head, putting him down in the second.

The shorter Czyz stood up early, but stumbled across the ring on spaghetti legs. The referee stopped the bout 1min 43sec into the round.

Sanders, making the first defence of the crown, improved to 34 wins (24 inside the distance) and one defeat. Czyz, who has held the IBF light-heavyweight, WBA cruiserweight and WBU super cruiser titles, dropped to 44-8.

Sanders started at a furious pace, snapping out his right jab and throwing right hooks. His left cross to Czyz's jaw was also on target.

The South African worked Czyz into a corner and dropped him early with a left hook to the body.

But the veteran challenger, who went five rounds with WBA-IBF champion Evander Holyfield, fought back strongly.

He pinned Sanders against the ropes and banged away at the body and head. Sanders absorbed the blows and fought his way out.

Czyz maintained the attack in the second until Sanders caught his opponent against the ropes and finished him off.

"My timing just wasn't there," Czyz, who had not been in the ring since the Holyfield bout, said afterwards. "I wasn't on cue, I wasn't in the zone. I was walking into punches that I don't normally get hit with."

Czyz was the clear crowd favourite, walking to the ring to deafening applause. Sanders, on the other hand, drew more boos than cheers. -- Sapa-AP

Sanders steamrollers Czyz

15 Jun 1999/ Mg.co.za/

SOUTH AFRICAN heavyweight boxer Corrie Sanders held onto his WBU title at the Mohegan Sun in Conneticut when he beat Bobby Czyz by a technical knockout in the second round of their fight on Saturday morning.

Sanders flattened Czyz three times in the first round, and put him down in the second round after a devastating array of hooks found their mark. Czyz got to his feet, but was dazed and groggy. After one minute 43 seconds in the second round the referee stopped the fight, saving Czyz from further punishment.

The win has improved Sanders' record to 34 wins, 24 by knockout.

The 36-year old American challenger said before the fight that Sanders would need a baseball bat to knock him out. After the fight Czyz said that he did not expect Sanders to have so much power.